Michael Arditti joins the Salt list
by Christopher Hamilton-Emery
In what is being hailed as a very significant acquisition, we have signed acclaimed author Michael Arditti to our list. We are beyond thrilled to be working with Michael, and I talked to him about his new books, joining Salt and rejoining the world of independent publishing.
Michael's new novel, The Tribe, is perhaps his most personal work to date, dealing with a branch of his own family – a sweeping historical novel that addresses major events in modern European history – it is, as we have come to expect, exceptional. I asked Michael how he would describe it.
‘The Tribe crosses cultures and continents in its exploration of race, religion, nation and empire,’ said Michael. ‘Epic in scope yet intimate in detail, it is at once a family history and a portrait of a family in history.’
Michael, could you tell us a little more about the periods and places it covers?
‘It chronicles a powerful Sephardic dynasty in the cosmopolitan city of Salonica during the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, through the Nazi Occupation of France, to the early 1960s, when the survivors and their children confront their past, with long hidden secrets uncovered and deep-seated conflicts exposed.’
The whole team is excited to be working with you on these two books for Salt. You have an extraordinary catalogue of inquisitive, vibrant and much-loved fiction that has gathered a wide and committed readership – but you are also a gifted short story writer! The new stories we are publishing this year are diverse and emotionally-resonant, can you tell us a little more about them?
‘The Mellow Madam is my second collection, following Good Clean Fun (2004),’ says Michael. ‘They range from an elderly prostitute caught in a tabloid sting, through the Queen Bee of an amateur dramatic society upstaged by her cleaner, to a GP’s wife confronting her husband’s online history.’
Ten ordinary yet extraordinary women are brilliantly brought to life in the collection. By turns, humorous and poignant, penetrating and provocative, these captivating stories make for compelling reading.
You were published by an old friend of ours, Gary Pulsifer at Arcadia, and after his tragic death, you moved to Hachette. We’re utterly delighted to welcome you to Salt; we all hope you’ll be very happy with us – and welcome back to independent publishing!
‘After a brief foray into the world of corporate publishing, I am delighted to return to that of independent publishing, which has been the cornerstone of my career,’ adds Michael. ‘I am honoured to join the many distinguished authors on the Salt list and most grateful to you and the team for your warm and enthusiastic welcome.’
A short story collection, The Mellow Madam and Other Stories, will be published as a Paperback Original on 11 August 2025 – and a major novel, The Tribe, will be published on 9 March 2026.
Michael Arditti is an acclaimed novelist, short story writer and critic. His novels are The Celibate (1993), Pagan and her Parents (1996), Easter (2000), Unity (2005), A Sea Change (2006) The Enemy of the Good (2009), Jubilate (2011), The Breath of Night (2013), Widows and Orphans (2015), Of Men and Angels (2018), The Anointed (2020), The Young Pretender (2022) and The Choice (2023). He was awarded an Honorary D Litt from the University of Chester and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.